Barbara Boxer

Barbara Levy Boxer (born November 11, 1940 in Brooklyn, New York) is an American politician and the current junior U.S. Senator from the State of California.

U.S. Senator

Elections

Senator Boxer's predecessor, the Democrat Alan Cranston, retired in 1992. She won the open seat contest, defeating Bruce Herschensohn, a conservative television commentator, by 5 percentage points. In 1998 she was re-elected for a second term, beating Matt Fong, a former state treasurer, by 10 percentage points. She had decided to retire in 2004 but says she decided to recontest to "fight for the right to dissent" against conservatives like Tom DeLay. In the 2004 election, Boxer decisively defeated Republican candidate Bill Jones, a former California Secretary of State, by a margin of 20%, garnering the highest number of votes in the history of direct elections for the U.S. Senate (6,947,021 votes http://www.smartvoter.org/2004/11/02/ca/state/race/ussen/), and the third highest vote total in the country in 2004 (behind only presidential candidates George W. Bush and John Kerry).

Related Topics:
Alan Cranston - 1992 - Won - Bruce Herschensohn - 1998 - Re-elected - Matt Fong - 2004 - Tom DeLay - 2004 election - Republican - Bill Jones - California Secretary of State - U.S. Senate - George W. Bush - John Kerry

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bills and Policy Positions

Health Care

Senator Boxer is part of a coalition to increase medical research to find cures for diseases. Boxer authored successful bipartisan legislation to accelerate America's contribution to combat global HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. She authored a Patients? Bill of Rights in 1997 and continues to fight for these protections and for affordable health care. She has written a bill to make health insurance tax deductible and another bill to let any American buy into the same health insurance program that members of Congress have. She supports comprehensive prescription drug coverage through Medicare and the right of all consumers to purchase lower-cost prescription drugs reimported from Canada.

Related Topics:
HIV - AIDS - Tuberculosis - 1997 - Medicare - Canada

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In October 2002, Senator Boxer urged the Bush Administration to take specific steps to address the causes of the alarming increase in autism cases in California. She wrote HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson to establish a common national standard for the diagnosis of autism; instruct the CDC and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry to convene a task force to review the current literature on autism and conduct its own study if necessary; and direct the NIH and CDC to work with the states to create a national chronic disease database.

Related Topics:
October 2002 - Bush Administration - Autism - Tommy Thompson

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Boxer is a strong advocate for stem-cell research, which has the potential to help those with diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injuries, and other diseases.

Related Topics:
Stem-cell research - Diabetes - Parkinson's disease - Alzheimer's disease

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Education

Senator Boxer authored landmark legislation providing federal support for local after-school programs, which have been proven to increase student performance while decreasing juvenile delinquency, crime, and drug use. With her leadership, support for after-school programs has risen dramatically. Her "Computers in Classrooms" law encourages the donation of computers and software to schools.

Related Topics:
Juvenile delinquency - Crime - Drug use - Computer - Software

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Boxer supported the No Child Left Behind Act. Since its passage in 2001, the bill has been underfunded by billions of dollars. She aims to make sure it is fully funded, as originally pledged by President Bush.

Related Topics:
No Child Left Behind Act - 2001 - President Bush

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Boxer has voted to increase the maximum award for the Pell Grant program, which provides grants to lower income students for college. In addition, she has supported tax benefits to help more families pay for higher education.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senator Boxer has introduced legislation to allow college graduates to refinance their student loans at market rate, in order to ease the financial burden on those starting their careers.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senator Boxer established the Excellence in Education award to recognize teachers, parents, businesses and organizations that are working to make positive changes in education. Since 1997 Senator Boxer has presented the Excellence in Education Award to 38 recipients. http://boxer.senate.gov/issues/edu_award.cfm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Economy

Senators Boxer and John Ensign of (R-NV) are the authors of the Invest in the USA Act. This legislation, which was signed into law in October 2004, encourages American companies to bring overseas profits back to the United States to create jobs and stimulate economic growth. According to one economic estimate, the Invest in the USA Act will create over 600,000 new American jobs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In March 2004, Senator Boxer offered an amendment to the federal budget to create a $24 billion jobs reserve fund. The amendment would set aside funds for a variety of investments to improve the economy and create jobs by establishing a manufacturing jobs tax credit for companies that create jobs in the United States, expanding investment in science research and development, providing a tax credit to small businesses to pay for health insurance for their employees, and expanding trade adjustment assistance to help those who lose their jobs because of foreign trade. The Boxer amendment would also end the tax break that companies receive for moving plants overseas.

Related Topics:
2004 - Foreign trade

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senator Boxer offered an amendment in 2004 to increase the national minimum wage to help those working families struggling to make ends meet. Boxer?s amendment would have increased the minimum wage in three stages from the current $5.15 an hour to $7.00 an hour.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Environment

Senator Barbara Boxer has won numerous awards for her efforts to create a cleaner, healthier environment. Boxer authored the amendment to the Safe Drinking Water Act to ensure that drinking water standards are set to protect children and other vulnerable populations. She has been a leader in the fight to remove arsenic from drinking water, block oil drilling along California?s coast, and revitalize the Superfund by making polluters ? not taxpayers ? pay to clean up the toxic waste they leave behind.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Boxer successfully led the 2003 Senate floor battle to block oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which would destroy thousands of acres of fragile Arctic habitat and threaten the diverse array of species that live there. In 2005, Senator Boxer was one of the leaders to block oil drilling again.

Related Topics:
2003 - Arctic National Wildlife Refuge - Arctic - 2005

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senator Boxer has introduced the National Oceans Protection Act (NOPA) of 2005. Among the highlights of this legislation are provisions to: strengthen ocean governance; protect and restore marine wildlife and habitats; address ocean pollution; improve fisheries management. The bill also addresses needs regarding marine science, research and technology, marine mammals, ocean governance, coastal development, and invasive species.

Related Topics:
Marine mammals - Invasive species

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senator Boxer is an original co-sponsor of Senator Jim Jeffords? (I-VT) Clean Power Act. This comprehensive legislation would dramatically reduce emissions of four pollutants coming from power plants; sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon dioxide and mercury.

Related Topics:
Jim Jeffords - Sulfur dioxide - Nitrogen oxide - Carbon dioxide - Mercury

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Boxer successfully fought to repeal the luxury tax on electric cars and other alternative fuel projects, supported funding for clean fuel vehicles, and introduced legislation to remove subsidies for gas guzzlers.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Women's Rights

One of the Senate?s leading defenders of a woman?s right to choose abortion, Senator Boxer authored the Freedom of Choice Act of 2004 and helped lead the floor fight for passage of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As a member of the House of Representatives, Barbara Boxer authored the original Violence Against Women Act. Later in 1994, she co-sponsored, and the Senate passed, the Violence Against Women Act, which reformed the criminal justice system to better prosecute violent crimes against women, and which provided crucial federal support to local law enforcement agencies to get better training and better equipment for staff for a more effective approach to victims of violence and to prosecution of the perpetrators. Boxer has also authored the Violence Against Children Act, based on the successful VAWA.

Related Topics:
Violence Against Women Act - 1994

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senator Boxer is an original cosponsor of the Title X Family Planning Services Act of 2005, S.844, by Senator Hillary Clinton (D-NY). This legislation aims to reduce unintended pregnancies, reduce the number of abortions, and improve access to women's health care. It authorizes funding for family planning services grants, allows states to provide such services to individuals who may not be eligible for Medicaid, prohibits health insurance providers from excluding contraceptive services, drugs or devices from benefits, establishes a program to disseminate information on emergency contraception, requires hospitals receiving federal funding to offer emergency contraception to victims of sexual assault, provides grants to public and private entities to establish or expand teen pregnancy prevention programs, and requires that federally funded education programs about contraception be medically accurate and include information about health benefits and failure rates.

Related Topics:
Hillary Clinton - Family planning - Medicaid - Emergency contraception - Sexual assault - Pregnancy - Contraception - Health

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Fearing the gradual diminution of women's reproductive rights, Senator Boxer does not support restrictions on the availability of abortion, such as the so-called "partial-birth" abortion procedure, and parental notification requirements.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Social Security

Senator Boxer supports the current system of Social Security. She introduced the 401(k) Pension Protection Act to protect workers? retirement nest eggs by requiring the diversification of 401(k) plans. Despite an aggressive opposition to the bill, a modified version of the bill was signed into law as part of the 1997 tax bill.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Following the Enron scandal, Boxer again worked to ensure that retirement plans are diversified. She also introduced a bill to prohibit accounting firms from auditing and consulting for the same company.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senator Boxer strongly opposed President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security. http://boxer.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=232056, http://boxer.senate.gov/issues/sstexas.cfm

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

National Security

In response to the September 11th attacks, Senator Boxer authored a bill to protect commercial airliners against attacks by shoulder-fired missiles, and she wrote the law allowing airline pilots with special training to carry guns in the cockpit.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Boxer wrote the High-Tech Port Security Act to employ state-of-the-art technology to enhance security at America's ports, and sponsored the Chemical Security Act to provide the federal government with the tools it needs to address terrorist threats against chemical plants. Senator Boxer also cosponsored comprehensive rail security legislation to help better protect America's rail system.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In October 2002 Senator Boxer voted against the joint resolution passed by the U.S. Congress to authorize the use of military force by the Bush Administration against Iraq. http://www.hlrecord.org/media/paper609/news/2002/10/24/News/Senator.Boxer.Defends.Vote.On.Iraq.Resolution-304772.shtml http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=107&session=2&vote=00237

Related Topics:
October 2002 - Joint resolution - U.S. Congress - Bush Administration - Iraq

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In June 2005, Senators Barbara Boxer and Russ Feingold (D-WI) cosponsored Senate Resolution 171 to push for a clear timeframe for U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq.

Related Topics:
June 2005 - Russ Feingold

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In a speech on the Iraq War, delivered at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, on July 6, 2005, http://boxer.senate.gov/news/20050706sf.cfm Boxer said:

Related Topics:
Iraq War - Commonwealth Club - San Francisco - July 6 - 2005

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:"It is difficult to keep track of all the missions we?ve had so far in Iraq. There was the weapons of mass destruction mission. Then the regime change mission. Then the rebuilding mission. Then the democracy mission.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:And finally, terrorism, which the president mentioned more than 30 times in his speech (at Fort Bragg). "Our mission in Iraq is clear," he said. "We will hunt down the terrorists."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:That mission is a guarantee of a never-ending cycle of violence because our open-ended presence in Iraq is itself fueling the recruitment of terrorists. With that as a mission, we will find ourselves on a treadmill that never stops. We stay there to hunt down the terrorists and more terrorists are recruited, so we fight them and more terrorists are recruited and so the cycle goes."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Election Reform

In the 108th U.S. Congress Senators Barbara Boxer, Hillary Clinton, and Bob Graham (D-FL), introduced legislation that would have required that electronic voting systems provide a paper record to verify a vote. It was not given much attention however, by the Republican majority.

Related Topics:
108th U.S. Congress - Bob Graham

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On January 6, 2005, Senator Barbara Boxer joined Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio in filing a Cogressional objection to the certification of Ohio's Electoral College votes in the 2004 U.S. presidential election.http://boxer.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=230450 She called the objection her "opening shot to be able to focus the light of truth on these terrible problems in the electoral system".http://www.cnn.com/2005/ALLPOLITICS/01/06/electoral.vote/ The Senate vote on the objection was 1 Yea - 74 Nay, the House vote was 31 Yea - 267 Nay.http://www.thegreenpapers.com/G04/EC-Tabulation.phtml It was only the second Congressional objection to an entire State's electoral delegation in U.S. history, the first back in 1877.

Related Topics:
January 6 - 2005 - Representative - Stephanie Tubbs Jones - Ohio - Cogressional - Electoral College - 2004 U.S. presidential election - Terrible problems in the electoral system - State - U.S. history - 1877

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

As a gesture of appreciation and support for her for her stands on the presidential election irregularities and Condoleezza Rice's confirmation hearings, Stacy Davies of California began, via email, the "Barbara Boxer Rose Campaign", wherein people collaborated to buy Senator Boxer roses. The campaign drew an impressive response, and 4,500 roses were sent en masse to Senator Boxer's office on Valentine's Day, 2005.

Related Topics:
Rose - Valentine's Day - 2005

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On February 18, 2005 Senators Barbara Boxer and Hillary Clinton and Representative Stephanie Tubbs Jones unveiled comprehensive voting reform legislation to make sure that every American is able to vote and every vote is counted. The Count Every Vote Act of 2005 would provide a voter verified paper ballot for every vote cast in electronic voting machines and ensure access to voter verification for all citizens, including language minority voters, illiterate voters and voters with disabilities. The bill mandates that this ballot be the official ballot for purposes of a recount. The bill sets a uniform standard for provisional ballots so that every qualified voter will know their votes are treated equally, and requires the Federal Election Assistance Commission to issue standards that ensure uniform access to voting machines and trained election personnel in every community. The bill also improves security measures for electronic voting machines.

Related Topics:
February 18 - 2005 - Electronic voting

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

To encourage more citizens to exercise their right to vote, the Count Every Vote Act designates Election Day a federal holiday and requires early voting in each state. The bill also enacts "no-excuse" absentee balloting, enacts fair and uniform voter registration and identification, and requires states to allow citizens to register to vote on Election Day. It also requires the Election Assistance Commission to work with states to reduce wait times for voters at polling places. In addition, the legislation restores voting rights for felons who have repaid their debt to society.

Related Topics:
Election Day - Federal holiday

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Count Every Vote Act also includes measures to protect voters from deceptive practices and conflicts of interest that harm voter trust in the integrity of the system. In particular, the bill restricts the ability of chief state election officials as well as owners and senior managers of voting machine manufacturers to engage in certain kinds of political activity. The bill also makes it a federal crime to commit deceptive practices, such as sending flyers into minority neighborhoods telling voters the wrong voting date, and makes these practices a felony punishable by up to a year of imprisonment.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

All provisions of this legislation would take effect no later than the 2006 Federal election.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Bush Nominees

During the confirmation hearings for the Secretary of State nominee Condoleezza Rice in January 2005, Boxer challenged her to admit to mistakes and false statements made by the Bush Administration in leading the U.S. into the 2003 invasion of Iraq. http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2005/01/18/RICEBOXER.DTL Largely as a result of Senator Boxer's tough questioning, 13 Senators voted against the confirmation of Condoleeza Rice, the highest vote against a Secretary of State nominee since 1825. http://www.barbaraboxer.com/diary?id=0012, http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=2148, http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00002

Related Topics:
Secretary of State - Condoleezza Rice - January 2005 - 2003 invasion of Iraq - 1825

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

She later voted against U.S. Attorney General nominee Alberto Gonzales, who had drawn fire for his involvement in U.S. policies condoning torture. http://boxer.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=231270

Related Topics:
Attorney General - Alberto Gonzales - Torture

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senator Boxer voted against John Bolton's nomination for U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and filibustered him on the Senate floor. As a result of the strong Democrat opposition Bolton could not obtain Senate approval, but President Bush bypassed the Senate by resorting to recess appointment, only the second time such an appointment has been used since the founding of the United Nations in 1945, the first back in the late 1940s.

Related Topics:
John Bolton - U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations - Senate Foreign Relations Committee - Filibustered - Democrat - Recess appointment - United Nations - 1945 - 1940s

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senator Boxer voted against the confirmation of Chief Justice of the United States nominee John Roberts. http://boxer.senate.gov/news/record.cfm?id=246228, http://senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=109&session=1&vote=00245

Related Topics:
Chief Justice of the United States - John Roberts

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Foreign Policy

Boxer led the Senate effort to end the suffering of Afghan women under the Taliban. In 1997 the Senate passed a Boxer resolution calling on the United States not to recognize the Taliban as the official government of Afghanistan because of its human rights abuses against women. In October 2001, Boxer successfully authored a resolution calling for the inclusion of women in the temporary government of Afghanistan.

Related Topics:
Taliban - 1997 - Afghanistan - October 2001

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In March 2005 the Senate Foreign Relations Committee passed Senator Boxer's amendment to the Foreign Affairs Reauthorization Bill strongly urging Saudi Arabia to permit women to run for office and vote in all future elections.

Related Topics:
March 2005 - Senate Foreign Relations Committee - Saudi Arabia

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senator Boxer is a cosponsor of S. 495, or the Darfur Accountability Act of 2005, which would impose sanctions against perpetrators of crimes against humanity in Darfur. Sanctions under this legislation include imposition of a military no-fly zone in Darfur, a coordinated effort between the U.S. and Sudanese governments to track down and prosecute individuals in Sudan in any way involved with genocide or other war crimes in Darfur, a call for the Sudanese Government to take an active roll in combating Janjaweed forces within its borders, and a policy of sanctions against the Sudanese government, including sanctions which will affect the petroleum sector, and individual members of the Sudanese government whose actions support the crimes of violent militias in Darfur.

Related Topics:
Crimes against humanity - Darfur - Sudan - Genocide - Janjaweed - Petroleum

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

On April 5, 2005, the U.S. Senate passed by 52-46 votes an amendment by Senators Barbara Boxer and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) that would repeal the Global Gag Rule, which President Bush established by executive order on his first working day in office in 2001. The Global Gag Rule denied U.S. international family planning assistance to organizations that use their own privately raised funds to counsel women on the availability of abortion, advocate for changes to abortion laws, or provide abortion services.

Related Topics:
Olympia Snowe - Global Gag Rule - Family planning - Abortion

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

services.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Internet

Along with Senator George Allen (R-VA), Senator Boxer authored the Jumpstart Broadband Act. This bill would make more spectrum available for use by devices that incorporate new broadband technology, such as Wireless Fidelity (WiFi), thus helping to reinvigorate California?s high-tech industry and give consumers new ways of accessing the Internet. The Federal Communications Commission is now implementing the Boxer-Allen bill. Boxer is also supporting legislation to provide a 20 percent tax credit for expanding broadband to rural areas.

Related Topics:
George Allen - Broadband - Wireless Fidelity - Internet

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Boxer has been a leading opponent of imposing access and sales taxes on the Internet, co-authoring a bill with Sen. George Allen in 2001 to extend the Internet tax moratorium for five years. She is also the co-author of bipartisan legislation to protect the stock options that many high-tech companies offer to their employees to recruit and retain a talented workforce.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senator Boxer has joined in introducing the Spy Block Act of 2005, S. 687, in the U.S. Senate. The bill would would regulate the unauthorized installation of computer software, and require clear disclosure to computer users of computer software features that may pose a threat to user privacy. The Spy Block Act makes it unlawful for a person to install software on a computer without the consent of the authorized operator and prohibits false or misleading representations about the installation of software that cannot be uninstalled or disabled through usual program removal functions. It also prohibits the installation of unauthorized software that collects personal information about computer users or the installation of advertisement software without a means of identifying the software source.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Crime and Gun Control

Senator Boxer joined colleagues to pass the 1994 Crime Bill, which banned assault-style weapons and established the COPS program. She supports reauthorization of both programs. She strongly supports a ban on so-called 'cop-killer' bullets (with hard metal cores which can penetrate protective vests) and authored legislation to require child safety locks on guns. Her bill to prevent the criminal use of personal information obtained through motor vehicle records was signed into law and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Related Topics:
Guns - U.S. Supreme Court

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Senate's leader in the fight to ban "junk guns", also known as "Saturday Night Specials", Senator Boxer introduced legislation which would effectively take junk guns off the streets by requiring American-made handguns to meet the same quality and safety standards as imported guns. These junk guns are inexpensive, easily concealable, and are the preferred weapons of juvenile criminals.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senator Boxer is a cosponsor of the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which would aid federal authorities in assisting local hate crime investigations and prosecutions and would expand the federal definition of hate crimes to include crimes based on the victim's gender, sexual orientation, or disability.

Related Topics:
Hate crime - Gender - Sexual orientation - Disability

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ideological Ratings

The American Civil Liberties Union has given her 75%.http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?sig_id=003415M The League of Conservation Voters has given her 100% on environmental issues. http://www.capwiz.com/lcv/dbq/vote_info/?sort=Last&command=results&last=Boxer&submit.x=16&submit.y=10&submit=go The National Rifle Association has given her F (the lowest grade). http://www.nrapvf.org/Elections/State.aspx?y=2004&State=CA

Related Topics:
American Civil Liberties Union - League of Conservation Voters - National Rifle Association

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Senate Committee Assignments

Barbara Boxer serves on the:

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

• Senate Foreign Relations Committee, where she is Ranking Member of the Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs Subcommittee and a member of the Subcommittees on International Operations and Terrorism, and the Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics Affairs.
• Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, where she is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on National Oceans Policy Study, and a member of the Subcommittees on Aviation, Communications, Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine, and Competition, Foreign Commerce, and Infrastructure.
• Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, where she is Ranking Member on the Superfund and Waste Management Subcommittee and a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee.

A member of the Senate Democratic Leadership, Boxer serves as the Democratic Chief Deputy Whip, which gives her the job, along with Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, of lining up votes on key legislation. She also serves on the Democratic Policy Committee's Committee on Oversight and Investigations.

Related Topics:
Senate Minority Whip - Dick Durbin - Illinois

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~